How to Dance as the Roof Caves IN
2014
​
Available now:
​
“Satirical and darkly comic. . . . Lantz doesn't obfuscate; urgently employing direct expression, his poems 'let the path of a bird circling / a field describe the dome.'” ―Publishers Weekly
“Lantz's lyrics are by turns blunt and delicate, confrontational and full of lamentation.” ―Booklist
“Lantz's tactic is to show us the ludicrous in our daily life machines. His brain is a great piece of software and the data base is satire. This is theater of the absurd--bold, individual, ambitious, nimble, slightly cynical--a solid identity, sustained page after page. For consumers of poetry, you can't find a better buy.” ―Washington Independent Review of Books
​
How to Dance as the Roof Caves In examines America as it faces a recession of collective mood and collective wealth. In a central sequence, the "housing bubble" reaches its bursting point when, with hilarious and biting outcomes, real estate developers hire a married couple and other down-and-out "extras" to stage a fake community to lure prospective investors. In these marvelous poems, Nick Lantz describes the changing American landscape with great imagination and sharp wit.